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Age-verification is skewing human location data - we must safeguard this vital resource

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  • Rowe, Francisco

    (University of Liverpool)

Abstract

Mobility datasets built from anonymised smartphone location traces, calldetail records and other digital exhaust underpinned much of the evidence-based response to COVID19 and now inform transport planning, retail activity and the delivery of urban service infrastructure. As of the 25th of July, the United Kingdom implemented the Online Safety Act (OSA) requiring online services to check users’ ages. Major platforms — from adult sites to social media networks, such as Bluesky, Discord, Grindr, Reddit and X — have committed to robust aggregating, and Ofcom is scrutinising their compliance. Many users across these platforms have responded by turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) or other location spoofing tools to preserve privacy. These evasive measures threaten to corrupt the very data that scientists and policymakers rely on to understand human movement.

Suggested Citation

  • Rowe, Francisco, 2026. "Age-verification is skewing human location data - we must safeguard this vital resource," SocArXiv fz7h9_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:fz7h9_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/fz7h9_v1
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